Forensics team places in top 10 at national competition

April 28, 2010--North Central College's forensics team placed in the top 10 at the 2010 National Forensic Association (NFA) national tournament April 15-19 at Ohio University, finishing No. 8 in the President's I Team Sweeps.

More than 100 colleges and universities participated in the national championship tournament, which gave awards in 10 individual events and Lincoln-Douglas debate. Team awards are given in several divisions, based on the entry size of each school.

The President's I Team Sweeps division this year included schools that entered at least 24, but no more than 44, student entry slots into the tournament. North Central was represented by eight students performing a total of 37 entries (each of which the students had to qualify to enter by succeeding at previous tournaments during the regular competitive season, September through April).

Two students reached the National Quarter-Final rounds in their respective events and were among the top 24 students in the nation. Nicole Autry, a junior from Joplin, Mo., was a Quarter-Finalist in Impromptu Speaking, where students deliver impromptu speeches on assigned topics. Heather Zupancic, a junior from Downers Grove, was a Quarter-Finalist in Rhetorical Criticism, delivering a speech she wrote on the communication practices of the Save My Starving Children charity organization.

Other students attending the tournament and contributing to the team's Sweepstakes award were Kacy Abeln, a senior from Lombard; Greg Voegtle, a junior from Schaumburg; William Miller, a sophomore from Pearl City, IL; David Depino, a sophomore from Wheaton, IL; Jacey Keeney, a freshman from Marseilles, IL; and Heather Motz, a freshman from Bartlett.

About North Central College
Founded in 1861, North Central College is an independent, comprehensive college of the liberal arts and sciences that offers more than 55 undergraduate majors and graduate programming in six areas. Located in Naperville, Ill., North Central is recognized as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report, which cites it as one of the top six schools in the Midwest for "Strong Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching"; as "a college for high-achieving students" by Peterson's Competitive Colleges; and as one of "America's Best Colleges" by Forbes.